A down-on-her-luck thief picks a wizard as her next mark, but stealing his heart was never part of the plan.

For nearly two decades, Mavery has used her magic as a means of scraping by, whether as a mage for hire or a petty thief. After her partner betrays her and leaves her penniless, she’s desperate for a new score. She finds a help wanted ad from a wizard seeking an assistant. Her plan is simple: play the role of a scholar, earn the wizard’s trust, and clean his tower of valuables.

Alain has been on sabbatical for so long, his people skills have become almost as disastrous as his hoard of overdue library books. And after his last project ended in tragedy, he’s now on the verge of losing his wizard rank. He must develop a new spell, and he needs all the help he can get. Even if it comes from a woman bearing a false name and unusual magic.

What begins as a convenient arrangement grows into an unexpected friendship—and undeniable attraction. But a career criminal has no place in a world of scholars, and a wizard can’t afford to open his heart to another. As they uncover secrets about magic—and each other—Alain and Mavery must both choose between love and ambition.